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A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / The problem with Journey To Perfection missions and how to fix it
« on: May 05, 2012, 10:22:14 PM »
Something felt a bit 'off' about these missions from game design point of view. Once I realized what it was, it seemed obvious:
The difficulty curve for these missions is a complete opposite of what it should be. They're hardest for new players and easiest for veteran players.
They get easier because:
- Improved player skill
- Enchants
- Spells
And the only way they get harder is once elites are unlocked, some of which make JtP missions frustratingly difficult. Some monster types just aren't appropriate for these missions.
I think Chris was on the right track with disabling some spells in JtP missions, we just need to take that to its logical conclusion. Here's what should be done to fix it:
- One hit kill is unchanged.
- Either disallow all enchants or give player the enchants they can use for the duration of the mission and equip them automatically. (Also prevent the player from opening the enchants window)
- Same for spells. Either allow only one spell, such as energy orb, or a set of spells. Crates and platforms should still be allowed. (Clear out the inventory and spell list for duration of the mission)
- Some elites should not appear in JtP missions. Have a custom list of monsters which can appear in JtP for each type of terrain.
- Increase enemy detection range based on difficulty and/or tier.
- Remove the anti-air missile towers.
The difficulty curve for these missions is a complete opposite of what it should be. They're hardest for new players and easiest for veteran players.
They get easier because:
- Improved player skill
- Enchants
- Spells
And the only way they get harder is once elites are unlocked, some of which make JtP missions frustratingly difficult. Some monster types just aren't appropriate for these missions.
I think Chris was on the right track with disabling some spells in JtP missions, we just need to take that to its logical conclusion. Here's what should be done to fix it:
- One hit kill is unchanged.
- Either disallow all enchants or give player the enchants they can use for the duration of the mission and equip them automatically. (Also prevent the player from opening the enchants window)
- Same for spells. Either allow only one spell, such as energy orb, or a set of spells. Crates and platforms should still be allowed. (Clear out the inventory and spell list for duration of the mission)
- Some elites should not appear in JtP missions. Have a custom list of monsters which can appear in JtP for each type of terrain.
- Increase enemy detection range based on difficulty and/or tier.
- Remove the anti-air missile towers.
